Broken Healing
by Yiroma
Summary: A mistake by the Kyubi while healing Naruto in the fight with Haku gives him the Sharingan, and potentially many more Bloodlines as well. Now he has attracted the attention of the Sandaime, Akatsuki and the mysterious ROOT. But which side will he choose?
1. Chapter 1

Broken Healing

A mistake from the Kyubi while healing Naruto in the fight with Haku gives him the Sharingan. But how will Naruto use this new ability, especially when the Kyubi offers to do it with other Bloodlines?

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or quite a few of the lines included within this chapter, as many are quoted from the manga.

* * *

Chapter One: In Which Naruto Loses Something Precious and Kyubi Makes a Serious Mistake 

Perhaps it had been wrong to keep doing the mission after all…

There was pain. It ran up and down his body in a hundred cuts that had been slashed over his skin by the masked hunter-nin. Naruto felt his body fading again, back into darkness.

"_I see… You too share the legacy of a kekkei genkai bloodline!"_

He knew he shouldn't. He could still hear the faint rush of the battle unfolding around him, caught in the ninja's ice mirrors. Without him, Sasuke would be taking on the powerful ninja all by himself…

He could hear words been spoken as if from a long distance away. They kept fading in and out, one moment hazy and indistinct, the next sounding so close they could be being shouted in his ear.

"_I can't let this fight go on!"_

His body ached to fall unconscious, to abandon the feelings that made it scream in protest.

"…_tain that the longer our duel drags on the greater your ability to perceive my movements will become! Especially since…" _

Behind closed lids, his eyes felt as if they were on weights as he tried to force them open.

"_TIME TO BRING THIS TO AN END!"_

A yell, that sounded louder than any previous, finally begun to rouse his body. He couldn't let a comrade die while he just lay on the floor, useless. He had made a promise to protect his precious people! Naruto cracked his eyes open. He turned his head achingly, to see Sasuke stood in front of him, his back to the blond boy.

"Sheesh… No matter how many times I tell you, you still keep getting in my way…" Sasuke said, turning to look at him out the corner of one eye. Fallen against an ice mirror was the crumpled form of the hunter-nin.

"Sasuke! You…" Naruto said happily, only to stop suddenly as he noticed something.

Sasuke's neck was filled with senbon needles. A trickle of blood ran from one corner of his mouth to splat onto the ground. "Get that lame expression off your stupid face, dobe," the black-haired boy croaked.

_Needles through his neck…? But doesn't that mean that he will… Die! _The thought filled his mind and Naruto stared at his rival wide-eyed. "… Wh-Why…" he stammered out, before trailing off ineffectively. ­_He was trying to cover me…?_

"Humph…" Sasuke managed. "I used to **hate** you, you know…" The boy trailed off, staring down at his team mate.

"Why… Why did you…?" Naruto twisted round to get a better look at Sasuke. He didn't know what he felt suddenly. "Why… Me…?" Sasuke was going to die and he- "You should have just minded your own business!" Naruto yelled at him furiously.

"How should I know?" Sasuke said. "My body just moved on its own, idiot!"

Naruto started forward as Sasuke rocked back on his heels. He caught the boy as he fell to the floor, before easing him down the rest of the way onto his knees. Black eyes glanced up into Naruto's.

"I swore I wouldn't die…" Sasuke murmured, his voice fading slightly. Something warm and wet trickled over Naruto's hands where he held the boy's shoulders. "Until I killed him… my brother… thought the oath would save me… but…" Sasuke raised an arm slightly as if to grab a hold of Naruto's jacket. "But don't you dare die also…"

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, even as the black pupils of the other boy widened suddenly, and went dark. The arm still rising fell again, the pale fingers hitting the ground silently.

The blond dug his fingers into Sasuke's shoulders, taking in a hissing breath. His eyes were itching again, but this time it was tears forming, making the still figure he was holding blur.

_He's… dead…?_

"He struck one blow at me, and without flinching sacrificed himself for you," a voice said, cutting over that single thought. Out the corner of his eye, Naruto saw the masked ninja stand up a little unsteadily. "He was a shinobi worthy of the utmost _respect…_"

Naruto pulled the body upwards, wrapping his arms around Sasuke in a hug. He was completely lifeless in his hands.

_He's **dead**._

"-who in order to protect someone he cared about threw himself headlong into what he knew was a trap," the ninja continued.

Naruto ignored him, instead setting the body on the floor carefully from off his knees.

"Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died?" the hunter-nin asked, even as his body began to dissolve back into one of his mirrors. "Such is a ninja's path…"

"Shut up," Naruto ground out.

In his mind, where before it had been blissfully blank, something was uncoiling. Chakra burned through his system, and flooded his mind. _I hated you too, Sasuke... But at the same time, I… And you also, it seems…_

Quite suddenly, Naruto knew exactly where the other ninja was, despite his many mirror reflections. The least he could do was see that the rest of the team survived. That he survived.

Sasuke's eyes were closed and blood had dried falling down his chin.

_I'm never gonna forgive you for this…_

Something burned.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he screamed, his gaze turning towards the other ninja.

Inside his mirror, the ninja stepped back from the ferocity of the gaze turned upon him.

- - -

"He was my team mate and my friend," Naruto replied, clenching his fists. "One of my precious people. I'm gonna make you pay for taking away his dreams!"

"It seems you mean to make this your final stand," Haku said out-loud to the blond ninja stood in the centre of his ice mirror jutsu. "Are you prepared to meet death, as any shinobi should be?"

"Only one person will die today," the blond growled. "And that will be you!" With that, Naruto charged forward.

_Here he comes!_ Haku thought, readying his senbon between his fingers. _NOW!_ He pulled back his hands and released the needles. They flew through the air towards the figure hurtling towards him. _I have him!_

The senbon hit all over Naruto's shoulders and upper chest, riddling him with silver metal. The boy swung off course, rolling over the stone floor and coughing in sudden pain.

"I have restricted your breathing," Haku told him. "Soon lack of oxygen will make you tired, and you will fall to sleep. If you do not receive help in time, you will die."

To Haku's complete surprise, the blond laughed. "I don't care about all that shit!" the boy declared. "If I'm gonna die, all I wanna do is take you down with me!"

Haku frowned. He was out of needles and the blond still looked ready to fight. _If he breaks out this jutsu it could mean trouble for Zabuza-san!_ _I must incapacitate him before it is too late and I have no choice but to end his life… I need more senbon!_

Haku eyed the fallen Uchiha's body, riddled as it was with his needles. Making a split second decision, he flew down from a mirror above the genin and fell beside Sasuke's body, tugging three senbon out of the less lethal places they had become lodged.

Naruto spun to confront him. "Get away from Sasuke! Leave him alone!" The blond was so angry at the apparent violation he didn't even stop to think, but charged blindly at the ninja.

"I'm sorry," Haku said.

And threw the senbon with precise accuracy.

- - -

"I'm sorry," the ninja said and threw his senbon.

Caught unaware, Naruto didn't even have time to blink, before everything went dark.

The pain came seconds later.

He screamed.

His eyes felt as if they were on fire, and floods of something wet ran down his cheeks. Worst of all was the darkness, as the senbon had cut through his optic nerves, and burst the eyeballs in their sockets.

Naruto was blind.

The boy dropped to his knees, his hands falling onto the stone ground, feeling the roughness of it beneath his fingers.

"Now that you have no eyes," a voice said, cutting across his private darkness, "you are no longer a threat to Zabuza-san, and I may spare your life. I'm sorry, but you will never be a ninja again."

Naruto could hear his own harsh breathing- rapid, panicked pants. There was nothing else. He had no idea where the other ninja was, nor where he was. Everything had been snuffed out all at once.

The ninja's words echoed through his head. _"You will never be a ninja!"_

Naruto heard the soft Tak! Tak! of sandals moving over stone. "I must go help Zabuza-san complete the mission. I am sorry, Naruto."

Naruto clenched his teeth. He couldn't let the enemy ninja leave! If he did, then surely Kakashi-sensei would loose to Zabuza, and then Sakura and Tazuna would also be killed. And if the bridge-builder died, Inari would loose another part of his family, and the little kid probably wouldn't be able to cope with it. _They're all counting on me! I can't let them down!_ Naruto told himself determinedly.

Slowly and unsteadily, he eased himself upwards, to totter slightly on his feet. "Wait," he demanded. "You're not going anywhere! I can't let you hurt my friends! I WON'T!"

He screamed the last part, and as he did so, invisible to him, a fiery glow raced all over his body, swallowing him in a field of red chakra. Inside Naruto's mind, the blackness suddenly contracted, and was filled with fire. In the centre of it, an eye opened, huge and threatening.

"**So you have come!"** a voice boomed. "**I finally meet the crawling piece of worm food that presumes to be my master! But what use are you as my vessel? All I see is a pathetic, _blind_ human!"**

"_Who…?"_ Naruto questioned.

"**Who it asks!"** the voice said, voice full of malicious mirth. **"Why? Do I scare you? Make you wish you had crawled up and died to be more useful as carrion to the maggots?"**

Naruto was annoyed. _"Get lost!"_ he told the voice. _"I'm trying to fight!"_

"**Fight! With no eyes?"** There was resounding laughter. **"Well, filth, today happens to be your lucky day! Because I value my life, I'm going to fix your eyes for you! But you better not tap into my power again for a long time, or I'll grind your soul to dust!"**

"_Nine-tails!"_ Naruto realised at last in shock, only to receive a mocking laugh in reply.

All at once, pain filled his eyes again. His scream filled the bridge, making even Kakashi and Zabuza stop their battle to listen.

_Naruto!_ the silver haired Jounin thought, before he once again had to go on the defensive from Zabuza's attacks. _Hold on!_

- - -

There were two distinct popping noises as the senbon were forcibly ejected from Naruto's eye sockets.

Haku stared in shock as steam began to pour out the wounds. _What is this evil chakra?_ he wondered. _How is this boy able to control it?_

Before his very eyes, he saw red consume the bloody sockets, enlacing them with chakra strings that began to take on circular shapes. The boy screamed again, and put his hands up to his face, covering his eyes, before doubling over in pain.

Slowly, the screams died down, as did the smoke pouring out between the tanned fingers. Haku watched with morbid curiosity as the boy lowered his hands slowly away from his face. "What power was that?" Haku asked. "Have you been injured mo-"

He cut off as the blond boy swung to look at him. Behind his white mask, Haku's eyes went wide.

For where blue eyes had been before, there were now the whirling wheels of the red Sharingan.

_It looks like the Sharingan, but that's impossible…_ The dark haired boys glance darted between the boy laid comatose on the floor, and the blond stood glaring at him. "The blood?" he wondered aloud. _That chakra healed his eyes, but for some reason he has now the same Bloodline as the boy I removed the senbon from…_

Meanwhile, Naruto stared about him in awe and delight. _My eyes! That fox really did fix my eyes!_ _I can see! _He frowned slightly at the odd cast everything had though as he glanced around. _I have to end this quick though,_ he thought to himself. _Either my vision has healed all weird or I'm going to pass out again…_

Unknown to him, Haku was thinking something similar. _I took the other boy out first because with a Sharingan he was a major threat to me… But now Naruto has it as well, and my senses tell me he has more chakra to give it power. If I do not do something quickly I will not be able to hold up the mirrors, and he will surely win._

_I must act NOW!_

With that, Haku threw his remaining senbon needle, once again aiming for a less lethal pressure point. Despite everything, he did not want to hurt either of the boys.

Naruto started in surprise. _Senbon!_ his mind shrieked, and he dodged out the way, rolling to his feet again quickly. Seconds later, he saw the silver glint of a needle hit the ground where he had been stood. _I saw them coming from a long way away, I must be finally beginning to follow his moves, just like Sasuke did!_ Naruto thought with a grin. Ignoring the odd black shadows in his vision, he formed the seal he wanted and yelled, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A dozen Narutos suddenly filled the space inside the mirrors, and they all began moving in separate directions.

_He intends to smash the mirrors again!_ Haku thought. _I shall have to move quickly again!_

Naruto sent his clones to each different mirror. A sudden, black blur darted out of one, sending a clone up in a puff of smoke. Another followed as it drew close to a mirror. The third clone however, intercepted the attack by ducking out the way, sending Haku over his head and back into the mirrors, snatching up a dozen scattered senbon off the floor as he did so.

The real Naruto rushed ahead, already drawing back a fist to shatter the glass. From directly in front of him, the white mask appeared in the mirror, followed by a body. Pulling a kunai from his pouch, Naruto batted the senbon needles thrown at him aside with ease.

_No!_ Haku thought in surprise. _This was not one of the clones!_ He threw himself at the blond boy, who slid to a stop and met his kunai against the senbon needles Haku held between his fingers with a metallic twang. The black haired ninja flipped over the boy's back, before twisting to send a kick between his exposed shoulder blades.

Acting on instinct, Naruto dropped into a crouch and swung round on the ball of one foot to face his opponent. He darted under the blow and punched a fist into the ninja's thigh, sending him sprawling back towards the mirrors.

Picking himself up, Haku stared to reassess his opponent. _He too has improved since we last met! Naruto, your hard work has paid off I see. And yet… Perhaps his taijutsu has not improved; he has merely become better at reading mine!_ Haku told himself, before starting another series of moves. _I will move faster than he can, and overpower him like that!_

Suddenly behind Naruto, a deafening crack was heard. One of the clones had thrown himself through a mirror and the whole thing shattered in pieces of jagged ice, even as the clone turned back into air.

"I've got you now!" Naruto said triumphantly, while Haku looked on in shock.

"My distraction has cost me one mirror, but it will not happen again!" Haku told the blond. "From now on, I will take your Sharingan seriously!"

"My… My what!" Naruto started in surprise. His gaze darted to one of the mirrors, where a blond haired boy with red eyes stared back at him. "My eyes!" he started, his hands moving toward them. "But how…?"

_Is this because of Sasuke's death?_ he wondered. _Kakashi-sensei said only members of the Uchiha clan could get the Sharingan, I'm sure he did! So how come…_

Deep in the recesses of his cage, a fox demon winced slightly at the boy's shock as it reached even the far back of his mind. **"Oopps,"** it managed, rather lamely.

Haku stared out the mirror at the blond's shocked face. _He did not know…?_ _Either way, I must make use of his distraction!_

Jumping from the mirrors, Haku once again prepared to attack.

* * *

Blah, I just wanted a chance to write something simple, without any actual effort going into writing to make it nice and neat and shiny. If you eant me to continue this, please let me know.

P.S. I am a slash/yaoi fan (check my profile if you don't believe me) so there is the chance this might become one of those. On the other hand, I may do a Naru/Hina pairing, or have no romance at all. And sorry, but no begging in the world will make me write a NaruSaku fic.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Waahhhh... long fight scene, which mostly belongs to Masahi Kishimoto...

* * *

PREVIOUSLY: 

"My distraction has cost me one mirror, but it will not happen again!" Haku told the blond. "From now on, I will take your Sharingan seriously!"

"My… My what!" Naruto started in surprise. His gaze darted to one of the mirrors, where a blond haired boy with red eyes stared back at him. "My eyes!" he started, his hands moving toward them. "But how…?"

_Is this because of Sasuke's death?_ he wondered. _Kakashi-sensei said only members of the Uchiha clan could get the Sharingan, I'm sure he did! So how come…_

Deep in the recesses of his cage, a fox demon winced slightly at the boy's shock as it reached even the far back of his mind. **"Oopps,"** it managed, rather lamely.

Haku stared out the mirror at the blond's shocked face. _He did not know…?_ _Either way, I must make use of his distraction!_

Jumping from the mirrors, Haku once again prepared to attack.

* * *

Chapter Two: In Which the Battle Draws to a Close and Naruto Receives a Gift 

Kakashi whirled the scroll through the air, making a trail of blood down its centre. "Zabuza!" he called out into the mist. "Can you hear me? We're both busy people…" He lashed it through the air, wrapping it back up. "This might not suit your style, but let's end the fun… and finish this now!"

He caught the scroll between the index fingers of both his hands. _I must finish this quickly! It sounded as if the boys are both in trouble against that other ninja!_

A voice drifted out of the mist, sounding amused at the Jounín's bravado. "Sounds interesting… I'm curious to see what you can do in this situation. Come Kakashi, show me!"

_Just hang on a little longer, Naruto and Sasuke…_

- - -

On the other side of the bridge, Naruto whirled out the way of Haku's attack as he dropped from another mirror directly above the Kyubi holder.

_How do I use this stupid Sharingan thing!_ Naruto wondered desperately. _How does Kakashi sensei do all those cool moves with it?_

The enemy ninja jumped from mirror to mirror, leaping out from odd angles to attack with punches and kicks that were fast and stinging. Though he tried to block as many as he could, Naruto knew his own taijutsu was no match for the others. _I'm not fast enough! _He glanced around desperately_. Where next? _His red eyes widened suddenly in understanding_. This Sharingan! I know-_

_-There!_ Naruto yelled at himself. Haku darted out a mirror, hands outstretched with a senbon. Naruto side-stepped suddenly, twisting round, before latching onto the ninja's wrist with a vice like grip. "I've got you now!" he yelled out loud, drawing back a fist which shimmered briefly with red chakra.

Haku barely had time to be surprised before there was blinding pain as Naruto punched him repeatedly. _I can't fight this energy!_ There was a crash and Haku felt something cold and hard shatter as a punch sent him sailing through the air and one of his ice mirrors. At the same time his control slipped, and the jutsu began to crumble. _Za… Zabuza-san…_ he thought in a pain filled haze.

Around Naruto there was the sound of tingling glass as all the mirrors filled with snake-like lines, before shattering into slivers onto the ground. _It's… It's over…_ he thought breathlessly. He glanced over to see the other ninja scrambling to his feet, his mask cracking. _What is it with this guy?_ Naruto wondered. _He just won't stay down! Well, I'll just have to hurry and knock him out before he recovers!_ Moving quickly, he raced forwards, leaping off the ground and curling his hand into a fist. The ninja just stood there, the parts of his mask slipping onto the floor and exposing the face beneath.

_Whaatt!_

Naruto froze, dropping down onto the floor, his fist barely an inch from the other's face. Black haired framed the pale face, while a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of pink lips set in an almost content smile. The features were oddly feminine, yet Naruto knew they belonged to a boy, the one who called himself Haku.

­_Is there... someone precious to you who you want to protect?_

Naruto expelled his breath noisily. "That… that guy in the woods was you?"

Haku frowned. _Why has he stopped? He must finish this!_ "Why do you not strike?" he demanded, a frown on his face. "Did you not just vow to avenge your comrade's death by killing me? Was that vow just empty words? Perhaps he didn't mean as much to you as you pretend…?"

Naruto risked a glance over his shoulder, where Sasuke lay still and cold in death, surrounded by pools of water from the melted mirrors. His eyes flickered. Furiously, he turned back to Haku and finished the swing of his punch. Without the build up it did little besides making the other boy stagger.

Haku coughed. "If that is all the strength you can put into it you will never keep your vow…" He looked back to meet Naruto's eyes. "To allow an enemy to live- this is not compassion, but a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You are of no use to anyone- your life has no meaning. It is a mere existence from day to day, full of pain and emptiness."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said with a snarl.

"I talk of myself," Haku explained calmly. "This battle has shown that I am no longer any use to my master, Zabuza. I am a weak and ineffective tool."

"Zabuza…" Naruto furrowed his brow. "Why that guy anyway! Is he the only person that matters to you? That's the saddest thing I ever heard!"

Haku looked down. "There were others once… My parents…" Naruto relaxed his fighting stance slightly as Haku continued. "I was born in a snowy village in the Country of the Mist. My parents were very kind and good people. …I was happy… But then everything changed." Haku broke off to look towards the sky for a moment, lost in a memory.

"What?" Naruto asked. "What changed?"

Haku reached up with a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. "Blood…"

"Blood?" the Kyubi holder repeated, confused.

"My father killed my mother, before he tried to kill me," Haku said simply.

"What!" Naruto gasped, shocked at the admission.

"People with bloodlines that gave them abilities like mine came to be hated in my country. We had endless civil wars, and clans were used as weapons in countless battles. As a result they were blamed for bringing misfortune and war to the country. After the war was over, the people from those clans had to hide their abilities, or they would face certain death." Haku shifted his gaze to the body of Sasuke. "That boy… He too must have experienced such hardship in his past…"

Naruto frowned, remembering the words Sasuke had spoken when he talked of his ambitions in life. _To kill a certain man!_

"My mother was from such a bloodline. She thought she had escaped from that to become the wife of a simple farmer… But eventually my father discovered her abilities… By the time I knew what I had done, I had killed my own father!" Haku paused, bowing his head. "Then I discovered the most painful thing."

"Most painful?"

"That in all the world, I am a person who is unwanted!"

Naruto started in surprise, his eyes widening. _He is just like me!_

"When Zabuza came along, he offered me a reason to live again. He needed me, he acknowledged me, just as you wish to be recognised. Like me, if someone came along who did that, would they not become the most precious person to you?" Haku asked him, and thinking back to what the blond boy had told him when they talked in the woods.

Naruto bowed his head in silent agreement. _Like Iruka-sensei… My most precious person…_

"Yet now," Haku said, his voice full of pain, "I am useless as Zabuza's tool! Naruto… Please…" He paused to meet the blond boy's eyes. "Kill me."

Naruto stared at him in disbelief for a moment. _How can he say that so calmly? How can he want to die? _He stepped back in surprise.

"Why do you hesitate?" Haku demanded, taking a step forward to close the gap again. "I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior?"

Naruto shook his head. "How can you say that? Do you really believe that's all there is to it?" he yelled. "Fighting and killing until there's only one man left standing?" His voice softened a bit. "There's a lot more to being shinobi than that. There are more ways of showing your strength than beating someone in battle."

Haku felt his lip twitch into the start of a sad smile. "I've had this feeling ever since we met in the woods… That you and me, we're a lot alike." _Our thoughts are the same. Our dreams, also._ "You know what it is I'm talking about. I'm only sorry that it is you that will have to stain your hands with my unworthy blood."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "This… This is the only way…?"

"Yes!" Haku insisted.

_You've lost your dreams… and ask me to kill you! _Naruto bowed his head._ The both of us are caught in this… as shinobi…_ "The weird thing is, if we'd met under different circumstances, we probably would have been friends…" Naruto said out loud, to receive a small nod of agreement from the other boy.

Pulling a kunai from the pouch on his leg, Naruto started forward towards the other, raising his arm as if for a single slash across the throat.

Haku watched him, feeling oddly content. _He will become strong. Naruto, fulfil your own dreams!_

The blond drew close. _You think I can kill you Haku, but you don't understand! I won't kill you, not for that man! If I hit you with the flat of the kunai, I can knock you out! That should be enough! _He began to swing his arm down-

"**_Your future is death!"_**

Haku's head snapped up as the words carried to him. _Zabuza!_

"Sorry Naruto, change of plan!" Haku yelled, catching the arm and whirling the unsuspecting boy around. "I'm not ready to die quite yet!" He quickly began forming seals with one hand. _I have been foolish! How can I ask for a merciful death, when Zabuza-san still needs me? My last breath belongs to him!_

There was a swirl of mist as Haku disappeared- releasing Naruto from the hold he had had on his arm. Naruto stumbled and stared dumbstruck at the spot where Haku had been seconds before. _Where…!_

Suddenly, he felt his body shudder. It felt as if all his energy had suddenly disappeared. _What's happening?_ He blinked once, and when he looked around again his surroundings had lost their odd cast. _Does this mean the Sharingan has gone off?_ Naruto wondered. _Whatever, it's used up almost all my chakra! And I still have to find Haku!_

To his surprise the fog was lifting. He glanced down the bridge and saw-

His breath stuck in his throat. Kakashi and Zabuza were stood staring each other down. Between them stood the blood drenched body of Haku, Kakashi-sensei's hand punched through his chest. _He jumped in to save Zabuza!_ Naruto realised.

"I never realised what a useful thing I had picked up that time!" Zabuza was saying, while hefting his sword back.

_He intends to cut through Haku and Kakashi-sensei both!_

"HAKU!" Naruto screamed, watching as Zabuza's blade swept down.

At the last second, Kakashi jumped out the way, taking Haku's body with him. Dropping to his knees he laid the boy out on the floor carefully. Quickly, Naruto ran over to them both and dropped to his knees. The boy was spitting up blood, and there was a gaping hole right through his lung. "Haku…" Naruto murmured. He turned to look at his sensei, who had a sad look on his face. "Is he going to live?"

Kakashi looked away from the blond's anxious face. "Stay here Naruto. This fight is between me and Zabuza." He stood up and walked past the blond, though a hand fell on Naruto's shoulder for a second and squeezed in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

Naruto turned his gaze on the boy, who looked up at him with _happy_ eyes. "Naruto…"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, running over with Tazuna in tow. "You're alright! I'm so glad! Is Sasuke with you?"

Naruto's face dropped and he yanked his gaze away from her eager one. "Naruto…" he heard her whisper, as if in question, or perhaps realisation. He heard her run away down the bridge.

Haku looked up at the blond, whose face was fixed on the ground. "I'm… sorry…"

Naruto turned his gaze onto the boy. "Hey, you ought to be preservin' your strength! Don't talk right now!" He grabbed one of Haku's hands.

The black haired boy smiled, even as a sudden wailing cry rose up. It sounded as if Sakura had found Sasuke. Naruto closed his eyes for a second, trying to push back the tears.

"You'll see…" Haku said, his voice barely a whisper. Naruto opened his eyes to look at him again. "Naruto-kun… Know that I died… fulfilling my purpose. It was… an… _honour_…" The boy trailed off.

Around Naruto things slowed to a stop; the hand he held was cold. "Haku-kun…" he murmured as the boy's eyes slid shut and his chest stopped rising.

_How many corpses will I see today?_ he wondered distantly, even as something else began to fill his mind.

A boiling certainty.

"HAKU!" he yelled. Red fire flew over his hands, bathing Haku's body in its glow. Inside his mind there was a roar.

"**You have a lot of nerve boy! Didn't I tell you not to summon me again!"** the Kyubi shouted, sending the noise rattling through Naruto's mind.

"_Heal him!"_ Naruto yelled back. _"Heal him now! He didn't deserve to die for that guy!"_

"**What do I care for such sentimentality?"** Kyubi replied furiously. **"The weak die! He was weak when he should have been cold hearted and that killed him! What good would it do to bring him back to do it again? He would kill what you have left of your team! Foolish brat!"**

Naruto gritted his teeth. _"I don't need your help! Just your power!"_ The Kyubi shrieked as Naruto forcibly pulled at the power trapped within his naval. In a sudden rush, it burst out of Naruto's hands into the dead boy beneath him, and into the wound through his chest.

The body shuddered, convulsing once. Chakra threaded into the hole, and there was an odd crunching noise as things began to rebuild themselves, smoke poured out the wound. In a matter of seconds, pale skin was forming back over the wound.

"**Foolish…"** the Kyubi remarked from somewhere inside his mind, though he sounded a little less intimidating, almost as if his tone had softened.

Naruto reached out a hand to Haku's neck, where a steady pulse could be felt once again. He sighed in relief, sagging a little. He quickly pulled on Haku's top, covering where the wound had healed with bloody material. "I hope you wake up soon," he murmured. "Then maybe you can escape while everyone is distracted…"

- - -

Haku drifted in and out of consciousness. _What?_

He was alive. _But… How?_

He remembered Naruto, and a sudden flood of power that had filled him, before he slipped into darkness.

Something warm was placed beside him. "Thanks Kakashi," said a voice he recognised as Zabuzas.

There were footsteps as someone walked away- Kakashi he guessed.

A hand pressed against his cheek. "If I could… I'd like to go to the same place… as you…" Zabuza murmured, his voice fading towards the end.

_Zabuza-san!_ Haku thought, and willed his eyes open.

Across from him was Zabuza, who looked at him in shock "Haku-" he said in surprise.

"Don't die yet!" Haku whispered to him. "I will get us out of here!" He sat up quickly, and was pleased to see everyone was suitably distracted, though there were a lot more people on the bridge now, townspeople from the look of it. The only person who spared them a glance was Naruto, from where he was stood with Sasuke, Sakura and their sensei. He stuck his tongue out at Haku, before turning away again.

Haku started in surprise, before realisation came over him. _You healed me, and have given me this chance to leave with Zabuza. How shall I ever repay you?_ He quickly began forming seals that would open an ice mirror. _He even replenished my chakra!_ Stooping down, he picked up Zabuza as best he could.

"Let's go Zabuza-san," he said.

The man chuckled. "I should have known you would do something like this. I think you prefer me as an invalid."

Together they disappeared through the mirror.

- - -

It was sometime through the self-congratulations swapped by the villagers that anyone noticed something was amiss.

Sakura was supporting Sasuke, completely against his will, while the black haired boy was trying to work out what had happened after he had been 'killed'. Naruto was being oddly elusive.

Sasuke looked the blond over critically. _He's covered in blood! Look at his face! Yet I can't see a single wound!_ _Does this mean it is all Hakus!_

"Their bodies are gone!" one of the villagers remarked suddenly.

A dozen cries went up in shock as everyone turned to look. Indeed, the spot where the bodies of Haku and Zabuza had been laid was empty.

"It seems we were tricked…" Kakashi muttered, half to himself. He glanced sideways at Naruto, but to all appearances the boy seemed as surprised as any of them.

Tazuna looked a little worried. "Does this mean they will return?" he asked shakily.

Sasuke tensed, while Sakura gasped at the idea. _I'm in no condition to fight!_ Sasuke thought. _Damnit! Why did I jump in front of that hit anyway?_ He glanced sideways at the blond, who had his mouth open comically in surprise at the revelation. _Why did I do it…?_

"I doubt it," Kakashi said after a second. "He was only working with Gatou for the money. After he killed the man what would be the point in coming after you? I think you'll be perfectly safe Tazuna-san." He glanced around his team once, noticing the exhaustion on each face. Sasuke in particular was still riddled with dozens of needles. "I think we should go back to your house now. Everyone will need to be treated for their wounds and rest for a while."

Tazuna nodded in agreement, agreeing with the Jounin completely after witnessing the battle. He finally understood what it meant for these children to be shinobi.

- - -

"Well, at least our mission was successful," Kakashi said to his glum looking team two days later.

The four of them were sat round the kitchen table in Tazuna's house, called there by Kakashi who had wanted to make sure they were all okay.

Sasuke was healing well now all the needles had been removed, though he was wrapped in bandages all over. These were frequently checked by Sakura, who hadn't been injured at all, except for emotionally when she saw her idol and team mate dead.

Next to her sat Naruto, who Kakashi was having trouble trying to judge. The Kyubi had fixed all his wounds by the next day, but the orange jumpsuit had been covered in blood and there had been trails of it down his face from what had looked like his eyes. The past two days he had been quieter than normal, but seemingly fine apart from that, though the Jounin had yet to get a full sequence of events from the boy, who seemed to be avoiding him.

"We saved Tazuna from Gatou and the bridge is all but done," Kakashi continued. "Even better, the Wave Country is sure to pick up now that they don't have those goons stopping the trade."

Naruto and Sakura both looked pleased with this, while Sasuke was as impassive as ever, his chin resting on his joined hands.

"On a more personal note, I'm proud of all three of you!" Kakashi announced cheerfully. "Sakura protected Tazuna all by herself with admirable dedication-" the Kunoichi humbly accepted the praise (though inwardly she was screaming in triumph) "while Sasuke and Naruto took on a much more advanced opponent and lived to tell the tale." Sasuke glanced at Naruto at this point, as he was still troubled by how the boy had defeated Haku; Naruto determinedly looked away towards a nearby wall. "Even better, Sasuke managed to activate his Sharingan, which is great news."

At this the blond boy perked up noticeably. _I need to get what information I can here…_ "Sensei, everyone keeps going on about this Sharingan! What's the big deal anyway! Can anyone just get this Sharingan thingy?"

"No dobe," Sasuke said a touch contemptuously. "Though I bet you wish you had it." This last was accompanied by a smirk. Naruto glared back, choosing not to comment.

"Though I didn't say so before, only members of the Uchiha clan can get the Sharingan, Naruto," Kakashi said in explanation.

"Then how did you get it sensei?" Sakura asked, warming to the subject.

_And how did I?_ Naruto wondered.

"My Sharingan was given to me, I wasn't born with it," Kakashi said, but seemed unwilling to say more on the subject. "There are only two people in the world with natural Sharingan. One of them is Sasuke."

The black haired boy hmphed lowly and looked down at his hands.

"Sasuke-kun is so cool!" Sakura cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"Who is the other person, huh Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, ignoring the cheering fan girl sat next to him.

Across the table, Sasuke scowled and shuffled in his chair uncomfortably. _I'm sure I mentioned my brother to him while we were fighting against Haku, but still… I don't want him to get involved!_

Kakashi noticed the dark haired boy's discomfort. "Mah, that's an S-class secret Naruto," he said with a shrug, "so I can't tell you."

The blond frowned at the obvious avoidance of the question.

"There are lots of other bloodline limits out there, aren't there sensei?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Hai, Sakura," Kakashi agreed. "Ninja villages see the kekkei genkai as very important because they increase the strength of a village. Konoha has- had- two main Bloodlines, the Uchiha and the Hyuga, both of which use the eyes. There are other Limits of course, which you may have seen in a few of your class mates at the Academy."

"**Heh, heh, brat,"** a voice laughed out in Naruto's mind suddenly. **"It's no use asking any of those pathetic creatures! Only I know what has happened to you, as I am responsible!"**

"_KYUBI!"_ the boy yelled through his head, turning his attention to the fox, who had been unresponsive to the blond the last two days. _"What have you done!"_

"**Done! I've done you a favour brat!" **the demon roared.** "You now possess a highly prized kekkei genkai!"**

"_But how!"_ Naruto demanded.

"**When I was fixing your eyes, some of the Uchiha blood was present amongst yours. To fix your eye I needed to recreate the cells that had been damaged at a fast rate. In my haste, I accidentally multiplied the Uchiha's cells as well as your own, and my chakra automatically fitted the two types together**," the Kyubi explained, somewhat begrudgingly as it meant he had to admit to a mistake.

"_How the hell does that work!"_ Naruto yelled in disbelief.

"**All carrion is made from the same four principal things, it is only the way that it is fitted together that makes any of you any different," **the Kyubi reported, sounding bored.** "The chakra altered yours accordingly, and as a result you now have the cursed eye of the Uchiha clan." **

"-Hey, are you listening Naruto?" Sakura demanded, interrupted his inner conversation.

"I was just thinking about something Haku told me," Naruto said, covering his apparent distraction quickly. "He told me that the Villages used the people with Kekkei genkai in their wars to do all the killing. When the fighting was over the people with Bloodlines had to go into hiding, or they would be killed for all the things they did for their leaders."

All three genin looked to their teacher. "Hmm, that did happen," Kakashi said, scratching at his head. "Especially in the Land of Water. But then the people there were plagued by a number of civil wars, very much like the one Zabuza almost started when he attempted to kill the Kage of that time. It is a painful thing to say, but it is understandable that the people with bloodlines were _hated_."

"Haku's own father killed his mother, and nearly him as well," Naruto said sadly. "How could anyone of hated someone like Haku so much? He was innocent in all that…"

"Innocent!" Sakura said suddenly, startling Naruto with the loud sound. "Just what were you doing talking to that guy so much when he was killing Sasuke!" Sakura demanded.

Naruto looked away, his head dropping slightly. "I dunno… It doesn't matter…" He stood up from the table and started walking towards the front door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

"To train!" the blond announced, shutting the door behind himself with a bang.

"Huh…" the pink haired Kunoichi said. "I wonder what all that was about."

Kakashi narrowed his eye in thought. _It seems that battle with Haku affected you more than I thought, Naruto. What is it you've been thinking about so hard these past few days?_ "Sakura," he said. The girl turned to look at him with a puzzled expression. "Be nice to Naruto for a little while. Naruto said to me after the battle that had things been different, he and Haku could easily have been friends." The Kunoichi looked shocked and even Sasuke seemed mildly intrigued. "Their childhoods were very similar, and their goals in life were also. No doubt, Naruto will be questioning his own purpose as a ninja right now."

Sakura looked down at the table and seemed to be thinking for a short while. "Hai, sensei," she said at last. "I'll apologise to Naruto when he gets back."

Sasuke meanwhile frowned. _Similar childhoods? How were they the same? Surely Naruto was not feared and hated like Haku…?_

- - -

Naruto walked for a long time, trying not to think. He followed a trail through the woods, and let it lead him upwards, until he found himself on a hill surrounded by trees that overlooked the town below and the country around it. The moon glimmered down from the sky, casting a silver wash over everything. He sighed loudly.

"Naruto-kun," a familiar voice called out of the darkness.

The blond turned at once to see Haku appearing from between the trees. "Haku-kun!" he said in greeting. "What are you doing here? Are you and Zabuza okay?"

Haku smiled brilliantly. "Yes… Zabuza will pull through with my care, though it will take many months…" the boy stepped forward further, next to Naruto's side to look out over the land spread below them.

The two stood in silence for a while, before Haku spoke again. "I came to say goodbye. And… I wanted to thank-you for giving me another chance," he said. "For letting me live. I know it was you that saved me… I heard your voice, and felt _that_ chakra even as I began to fade…"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It was nothin'! Really! I just- It was like I said. If we'd of met any other time we would have been friends and, and so I couldn't let a friend die could I?"

"Even after thinking that I had killed your team mate," Haku said, wonderingly. "You have a very big heart Naruto. I hope nobody ever hurts it."

The blond chuckled a little. "It's okay… I'm used to it by now… The villagers…" he trailed off, uncertain what to say.

"Naruto, your Sharingan…" Haku said, changing the topic. Naruto wasn't sure whether it was an improvement or not though. "It shouldn't have been possible for you to suddenly develop it like that. It was after I threw those senbon in your eyes- the same power that healed me gave you back your sight. And you absorbed the kekkei genkai from that boy's blood, didn't you?"

Naruto hesitated. "Yeah, pretty much…"

Haku nodded. "I thought so…" he reached into a pouch on his leg and pulled something out, proffering it to Naruto. "Then I want you to have this."

Uncertainly, Naruto took it from him, to find himself holding a small vial filled with something red. "Huh? What is this?" he asked the other boy curiously.

"Blood," Haku stated calmly. Naruto pulled a shocked face. "My blood. It will come in use to you, I am sure. My abilities will also become your tool- as they did for Zabuza-san- for you have given me back my life and purpose. I hope you will accept it… tainted as it is…" the boy told him, a slight smile on his face.

Naruto's puzzled frown dissolved into a smile of his own, hiding his surprise effectively. "Thank-you, Haku-kun… Though I don't know what I'll do with it yet…"

"It is my thanks," the boy bowed lowly to the shocked blond. "And now I must be going. I must monitor Zabuza's condition carefully for the next few weeks to make sure he pulls through to be as strong as before."

"Hey…" Naruto called after the retreating figure. "If you ever get fed up with hanging around with the eyebrow-less freak, just come and find me in Konoha! I'm sure the old man will let you stay!"

Haku smiled once more, before disappearing, leaving Naruto alone again.

The blond held up the blood in the moonlight, watching it swirl as the vial moved.

"**So, what will you do with it brat?"** the nine-tails said suddenly. **"Are you going to accept his gift?"**

"_I'm not sure,"_ Naruto said.

"**It will be useful for you; it will give you great power."** The Kyubi seemed to be considering this carefully. **"It could be done with_ all _bloodlines! It would make you an awesomely powerful container. That way, you wouldn't need to bother me so much…"**

"_I would become strong," _Naruto told the Kyubi _"To protect my precious people, just like Haku-kun does."_

The fox laughed loudly **"Whatever you say brat. Just make this quick so I can go back to sleep. All this entertainment has made me tired! Put the blood on your kunai and stab it into yourself."**

Naruto did as he was told, covering the blade with the blood from the vial. Most of it ran off, but enough remained for the fox's chakra to work with. Gritting his teeth, Naruto plunged the kunai through his hand, as he had at the start of the journey to the Wave Country.

Red light fizzled over the wound for a second, before the slice disappeared, leaving nothing put smooth skin once more.

"**There, it is done,"** the Kyubi said.

* * *

Well, I hope no one minds Naruto getting another gekkei genkai so soon... But at least he's still fumbling about with the Sharingan, so not ultimate perfection. And the consequences of such thievery become apparent next chapter... 

**The Science  
**Okay... My Naruto-gets-bloodlimit theory works as follows...  
The Kyubi replicates cells. Inside cells is DNA. A section of DNA that codes for a certain characteristic is called a gene. The gene that makes the Sharingan was adapted amongst Naruto's genes for eyes by super Kyubi healing and became the dominant allele (never mind...). However, gene splitting with chakra isn't very precise, and similar gene codes will also get dragged along into Naruto's system... Snicker. I'm so cruel.  
Now I know my science isn't very exact, but don't hurt me! Or even mention it you biology buffs out there. Just view chakra as the ultimate DNA ligase...

**Pairings!  
**Ah well, I'm still thinking. I'm not asking for a vote, because in the end I'll probably pick my favourite anyway (sorry anyone who hates NaruHina or NaruSasu). In this chapter I did become obssessed with a NaruHaku pairing though... Hence his survival. You can bet on his return in later chapters... Whether it's a pairing I don't know...

However, I haven't decided yet, so your input always helps! Below are the pairing votes so far...

HET-  
Hinata 5  
Ino 3  
Temari 4

Kin 0

YAOI-  
Sasuke 3  
Gaara 1

Neji 0  
Haku 0 (sad sniff)

NO ROMANCE 1


End file.
